201.1 mph Rutter hoping to extend winning run.

Michael Rutter is aiming to continue his winning streak on Irish tarmac this weekend when he competes in the fifth round of the British Superbike Championship at Mondello Park, near Dublin.

Last weekend in Northern Ireland, the 31-year-old Leicestershire rider won the two Superbike races at the International North West 200 in front of more than 100,000 spectators.

However, the HM Plant Honda Racing rider will be the team's only representative in the two Superbike races over the 2.176-mile Kildare circuit. Ryuichi Kiyonari has failed a fitness test on his fractured collarbone and will not return to the series until round six at Thruxton on 6 June. The 21-year-old Japanese rider will not be replaced for Mondello Park.

Rutter is on a high after achieving the double in the North West 200. As well as winning both races by a comfortable margin on the nine-mile public roads circuit, he also blasted the factory Fireblade through the speed trap at 201.1mph - the first time the barrier has been broken in the UK.

While the North West 200 was a non-championship event, it was indicative of the early season form Rutter has shown in the British Superbike series. With eight podium finishes from eight starts - including a win at Silverstone - and new lap records set at Silverstone, Snetterton and Oulton Park, the new HM Plant Honda Racing CBR1000RR Fireblade has certainly made its mark. Rutter will be hoping to add to his points tally this weekend and close the gap on series leader John Reynolds.

"The whole of the HM Plant Honda Racing team is on a high after the double win at the North West 200 last weekend," says Rutter who lies second in the championship, on 149 points. "It meant a lot for me to win, break the 200mph barrier and move on to ten victories - one more than my dad's tally of wins at the event. The CBR1000RR is the fastest and best handling bike that I've ever ridden and I'm hoping to carry my form through to Mondello Park.

"I like Mondello overall but the only problem is that it's quite bumpy. It's also a relatively short track, so we'll not be reaching anything like the speeds we did last week in Northern Ireland. I believe that the HM Plant Honda might be suited to faster circuits but if we can get a good set-up, then I'm confident of recording my second victory of the year."